Panaji: The Goa government will take an appropriate decision on the depiction of port limits within village areas in the Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) 2019 after considering objections and suggestions during the public consultation process, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant informed the Assembly.
Replying to a calling attention motion moved by opposition MLAs, including Goa Forward Party’s Vijai Sardesai, AAP’s Cruz Silva, and Congress’ Carlos Alvares Ferreira, during the ongoing legislative assembly session on Tuesday, Sawant said the draft CZMP 2019 has been circulated among state departments and authorities for inter-departmental consultation and is yet to be placed in the public domain for public input.
The motion raised concerns that extensive port limits shown within village areas in the CZMP could bring large stretches of rivers and riverbanks—traditionally used by local communities, fishermen, and riparian villages—under port jurisdiction, potentially affecting customary rights and access to waterways.
Sawant explained that under the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification, 2019, coastal states are required to revise or update their CZMPs prepared under the earlier CRZ Notification, 2011. He noted that the 2011 notification specified that the No Development Zone (NDZ) would not apply to areas falling within notified port limits. Accordingly, the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management obtained details of port limits to be reflected in the draft CZMP.
The Department of Environment and Climate Change subsequently sourced information on minor port limits from the Captain of Ports and major port limits from the Mormugao Port Authority, which were depicted in the draft CZMP maps.
However, Sawant noted that during the public consultation on CZMP 2011, there had been demands to remove port limits from the maps, which the government had accepted at that time.
He stated that the government will now take an appropriate decision on the depiction of port limits in the CZMP 2019 after reviewing views received during the upcoming public consultation.
